The View From: White Plains

New Way to Treat the Holidays, As the Environmentalists See It

By LYNNE AMES

Published: December 8, 1996

WHITE PLAINS—
CHRISTMAS is coming and so are reams of shiny (as in nonrecyclable) wrapping paper, tables laden with party foods that may or may not be eaten, and gifts that might wind up permanently consigned to the back shelf of someone's closet.

At least that's how some of those in the waste-management field look at it. Depending on your perspective, the holidays are a time of joyous excess, or a time of waste. Traditionalists might not like being told to cut back on fancy trimmings, serve guests only what they are likely to eat or turn the thermostat down at parties. But people conscious of such things as creating less garbage and saving energy are full of tips for a subdued holiday celebration.

James Hogan, director of resource management, solid-waste division, Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities, said his department has been distributing lists from the ''Use Less Stuff Report.'' Published by Partners for Environmental Progress, an organization based in Ann Arbor, Mich., the list details ways to reduce waste during the holidays. Mr. Hogan, whose seriousness of purpose is tempered by a sense of humor, laughingly observed that some of the suggestions seemed extreme, but recommended others.

''When you generate waste, you're using more resources,'' he said. ''It costs more to manage a ton of garbage than a ton of recyclables. It's ludicrous to keep consuming natural resources, and financial resources, when things can be recycled.

In Westchester, he added, recyclables include newspapers, glass, metal, plastic and corrugated cardboard. In 1995 the county processed 1.3 million tons of waste, of which 442,533 tons were recycled. This represents a 34 percent recycling rate, which, Mr. Hogan said, is high compared with the rest of the country.

Among the ''Use Less Stuff'' tips he recommends: wrap gifts in the comic sections of newspaper instead of gift wrap -- the report explains that ''if we each wrap only three gifts in reused paper, we'd save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.'' Mr. Hogan thinks the comics are appealing for children's gifts; other sections of the Sunday newspaper might be appropriate wrappings for other recipients. ''If someone plays the stock market, use the financial page, or if they like to eat, wrap their gift in recipes from the living section.''

He also suggests reusing packing cartons and shipping materials. The parts of the newspaper that one does not use to wrap gifts can be used for packing material; shred them and use them instead of little styrofoam bubbles. And brown paper grocery bags can be used to wrap packages for mailing instead of going out and buying rolls of brown paper just for that purpose.

When it comes to energy, people can save gasoline by shopping at home by means of their computers, according to the ''Use Less Stuff'' report. Energy can also be saved by ''turning your fireplace into a furnace by using a heat exchanger.'' A heat exchanger, Mr. Hogan said, is an energy-saving device that uses heat from the fireplace, a piece of metal and a fan to blow hot air into the room. Mr. Hogan warned, however, that people must use a heat exchanger that is safe and well constructed, and that they should never try to rig one up on their own.

Another simple and obvious tip is to use gifts that are already recycled: ''shop at antique stores, holiday bazaars and thrift shops; someone's trash may be someone else's treasure.'' This theory is being put to use by the county in one of its most popular programs, ''Used but Usable.''

''Used but Usable'' is a simple clearinghouse for used objects. ''I was throwing a twin bed out a few years ago, and I couldn't find any friends or family members who could use it,'' Mr. Hogan recalled. ''I put it out with the curb-side bulk trash, and that got me thinking, 'Someone surely would have wanted it if only I knew how to find that person.' ''

Since 1993, when the program began, 15 tons of objects that would have been thrown out have gone to other people. ''Instead of going to waste, these 30,000 pounds of things found new homes,'' Mr. Hogan said.

This is the way it works: call 637-3011 and tell the county representatives what you have that you don't want. When someone calls needing that object, he or she is referred to the donor and the two arrange details on their own. The person getting the object is responsible for picking it up; the only stipulation is that no money change hands.

Among the most popular and requested items are baby furniture, sofas, coffee tables, lamps and refrigerators. The program serves people of all socioeconomic levels, although frequently those who need second-hand objects are having a money problem and might not be able to get them new from a store.

''Last month, we got someone a sofa and it was wonderful, because she didn't have one at all and couldn't afford a new one,'' Mr. Hogan said. ''When we make a match and there's a real need there, we beam with pleasure. That's really the Christmas spirit.''